Landcom, Lismore City Council and a community housing provider are partnering to deliver affordable rental homes in Goonellabah.

The projects are located at two sites:

• 44 Bristol Circuit
• 69 Cynthia Wilson Drive.

They will provide new homes for people on very low, low and moderate incomes.

The project is supported by funding from Homes NSW, NSW Reconstruction Authority and the Commonwealth Building Better Regional cities.

There are 16 new homes proposed for 44 Bristol Circuit and 40 new homes proposed for 69 Cynthia Wilson Drive. Both sites are located in residential areas with one and two-storey townhouses. The sites are close to public open spaces, local shops, the university and hospitals.

Your feedback is important and will assist us in the design phase. Community feedback will be reviewed and considered alongside other stakeholder feedback and technical studies.

Feedback is open until 5pm on Wednesday 5 February 2025.

Please click through our site pages below to learn more about each site and to provide your feedback.

• Complete a feedback form
• Register for an online information session
• Attend an in-person information session

At Landcom, we understand the significance of providing safe, secure, and affordable housing for people and families across the state. These projects aim to address housing shortage and rising costs in Goonellabah through the provision of new affordable homes.

To learn more about affordable housing please visit Landcom’s website (Affordable Housing | Landcom)

What is affordable rental housing?

Affordable rental housing is below market rental housing for a mix of very low, low or moderate income households. Rent is discounted so that residents are able to meet other basic living costs, such as food, clothing, transport, medical care and education.

It is managed mostly by not-for-profit organisations, including community housing providers in a similar way to the private rental market.

Why is affordable housing important?

Affordable housing is an integral part of any community. It plays a key role in enabling social and economic sustainability, to create vibrant and diverse communities.

Affordable housing supports workforce stability by enabling people to live closer to where they work, enhancing quality of life and providing broader economic benefits to local businesses.

What is Landcom’s involvement in affordable housing ?

For more details, please visit Affordable Housing

Is there a need for affordable housing in the area?

Based on the 2021 Census the population growth across the North Coast has been strong, with a significant influx of sea changers increasing the demand for housing and impacting the housing market. Floods and bushfires have affected the region, causing housing shortages and a 10% decline in affordability across Lismore. The Census shows that low income households as the largest proportion of all households in every North Coast local government area (with the exception of Ballina).

Across the North Coast, there is a high proportion of very low and low income renters in housing stress, with a total of 94% of very low and 77% of low income households in rental stress at 2021.

The project will provide much needed housing, including homes for very low and low income households.

Note: the North Coast comprises of twelve local government areas – Ballina, Bellingen, Byron Bay, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond Valley and Tweed. *Reference Communities and Justice – Housing Snapshots

Housing Market Snapshot - North Coast Region | Family & Community Services (nsw.gov.au)

A group of technical consultants is engaged to provide specialist input to the projects. The input will form the basis of the designs and development applications.

The technical studies include:

• architectural design
• landscape architectural design
• town planning studies
• traffic impact assessment
• engineering studies
• contamination studies and remediation options
• arboricultural studies
• ecological studies
• social impact assessment.

HOUSING

Who is Landcom?

Landcom is a NSW Government owned land and property development organisation. We are a commercial business that develops land to achieve both public outcomes and financial benefits for the people of NSW.

Landcom supplies home sites through the delivery of sustainable masterplanned communities and development projects, with a focus on expanding the stock of affordable and diverse housing. We have delivered over 100,000+ homesites since 1976.

Who will build the developments?

The developments will be undertaken by a community housing provider who will build and manage the homes.

What is a community housing provider?

Community housing providers are not-for-profit organisations that own, develop and maintain rental housing for people on very low, low and moderate incomes that require access to social and affordable homes.

In NSW, community housing providers own or manage more than 51,000 properties. They are highly regulated and registered through the National Regulatory System for Community Housing. Community housing providers usually keep their new housing stock for the long-term, so they design and build high-quality homes.

What is the status of selecting the community housing provider?

Landcom is still evaluating tender submissions and we expect to announce the preferred community housing provider in coming months.

What are Lismore City Council’s priorities for housing?

Lismore City Council’s housing priorities can be accessed through their Affordable Housing and Diverse Housing Strategy.

Why do we need developments like this in the area?

Housing affordability and supply is one of the biggest pressures facing NSW residents, particularly for regional communities like Lismore and the wider Northern Rivers region. Natural disasters, such as the 2022 floods have further exacerbated housing supply and affordability issues in Lismore.

SITE DETAILS

How were the sites chosen?

The sites were selected by Lismore City Council. Parts of Lismore are heavily constrained by flooding, which impacts the amount of land that is close to jobs and services and suitable for development. The project sites are not within the flood planning area.

Both sites are in residential areas surrounded by detached single and double storey dwellings, close to Southern Cross University, St Vincents Private Hospital, Lismore Base Hospital and local shops.

The sites are also close to open space, including Tucki Tucki Creek Recreation Park, Playtpus Park and Nielson Park.

The sites are serviced by buses connecting to key destinations such as the Lismore town centre, Lismore Hospital and Southern Cross University.

SOCIAL IMPACT

What is a social impact assessment?

A social impact assessment is required as part of a development application and is an independent study undertaken to identify and assess potential social impacts associated with a proposed development. Social impacts can be understood as consequences to you, your family and your community when a new development brings change.

Has Landcom considered the development impacts to local roads, access and parking?

Both developments will include residential and visitor parking in line with statutory carparking requirements for residential developments.

A traffic consultant is undertaking traffic analysis to understand future traffic projections and impacts to the road network associated with the developments.

CONSTRUCTION

Will there be opportunities to support local suppliers?

The community housing provider will be encouraged to prioritise local resources, consultants and contractors, where appropriate.

Are trees being removed as part of the developments?

Significant trees are being retained on the sites. The final footprint of the developments is still being determined, and tree retention and removal will be guided by a qualified arborist.

Will neighbouring residents have access to their properties at all times during construction?

Yes, neighbouring residents will have full access to their properties.

There may be intermittent periods where access will be modified for safety and traffic control, however residents will be informed in advance to any impacts to their access.

What mitigations will be in place to manage noise, dust and vibration?

Construction will be carried out in accordance with a Construction Management Plan and will comply with noise control measures set by Council.

FUNDING AND MANAGEMENT

Who is involved in the proposed development?

Landcom, Lismore City Council, Homes NSW, the NSW Reconstruction Authority and a community housing provider are working together to deliver the project.

The project is funded through contributions from Homes NSW, the NSW Reconstruction Authority and the Commonwealth Building Better Regional Cities Grant program.

How will tenants be determined as eligible for the homes?

Tenants will be determined by the community housing provider based on eligibility requirements.

Our aim is to deliver quality townhouse developments that are sympathetic to the character of the area and respond to the sloped sites while creating liveable, sustainable homes for future residents. These design priorities balance design, environmental response and community needs.

Site response

• minimise cut and fill by incorporating stepped building forms that follow the natural land form
• position buildings to maximise natural drainage and reduce requirements for retaining walls
• create accessible pathways throughout the developments.

Layout and functionality

• arrange townhouses to maximise sunlight access to living areas where possible
• design efficient storage solutions to maximise liveable space
• create private outdoor spaces that work with the slope rather than against it.

Community integration

• create shared spaces that encourage resident interaction while working with site constraints
• design clear sight lines and passive surveillance opportunities
• include accessible communal facilities that enhance resident amenity.

What type of housing is being built?

Townhouses will be delivered. The layouts for each development site will be refined during the design process.

What design finishes and materials are proposed?

Landcom is committed to designing homes that are sustainable, respond to their surroundings and are operationally cost-effective. The materials and finishes will be detailed in the development applications once the designs have been refined. Materials will be high quality and aesthetically pleasing and will be sympathetic to the local area.